Bicycle-saddle



No. 609,6l6. Patented Aug. 23, I898.

' H. a. GLOVER.

BICYCLE SADDLE.

(Appl icatiou filed May 19, 1896.

(N0 Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFEfdE.

HENRY Gr. GLOVER, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

BICYCLE-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. eoae o, dated. August 23, 1898. Application filed May 19, 1896. Serial No. 592,148. (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY G. GLovER, a citizen of the United States, residing at J ackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycle-Saddles,of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawlngs.

Figure l is a plan or top View of the frame. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of Fig. l, partlybroken away. Fig. 3 is an edge View of the saddle, partly in dotted lines. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are details.

Like reference-letters indicate similar parts in all the figures.

It is well known, particularly to physicians, that serious and permanent injury to the genito-urinary organs results from the use of bicycle-saddles as now constructed because of improper external form and internal structure of said saddles, whereby there results an objectionable non-adaptation of the saddle to the above-indicated organs of the rider.

The object of this invention is to overcome or obviate the danger to the health of the riders which is incident to the use of bicyclesaddles as they are now made; and to this end it consists in certain novel features of form and of internal construction, which will be fully explained.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to make the saddle-bottom or floor-frame of steel wire or other similar elastic, material which can be readily properly shaped to secure or permit the desired outline in plan of the covering or upper surface of the saddle and yet yield sufficiently to insure a fair distribution of the weight of the rider over the variousportions thereof. In the illustration given the bottom is made of a single piece of wire, of which the center is doubled back upon itself at A, the two lines 6t 0t lying parallel with each other a short distance to form a throat for the reception of a bolt, as will be explained. Both lines or legs of the wire are then bent outward and rearward on curved lines, as at B B, so as to form reentering curves b b, and as both sides or ends of the floor are or may be alike Iwill describe them in the singular. The wire is then bent outward and rearward, as at C, continuing inward to. about the center, where it forms a reverse curve 0 at, extending forward in a sort of S shape. Thus there is formed at this point an opening to receive a fasteningbolt. From the bolt-opening the wire is bent into a scroll D E, the number of convolutions of which may be varied to meet the conditions or requirements of .difiering circumstances. The central portion of each scroll may also be in plane with the outer convolution, or it may stand normally above said outer convolution,,thus making the coil slightly convex upon the upper surfaoes of those parts.

By an examination of" Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that there is an approximately diamond-shaped opening F in the floor, with its longer axis anteroposterior and extending from a point about in line with the centers of the coils forward well up to the front bolthole; Although there is a narrow open space between each line a, where it is bent to form the outer convolution B, and the adjacent portion of the next inner convolution, yet those spaces are so narrow that with the ordinary mode of lacing or other means of attaching the leather covering, and especially when the cover has the ordinary slitcut inthe pommel, there will be practically a firm support against downward pressure in that part of the saddle except along arelatively narrow space on opposite sides of an anteroposterior line above indicated, as will be readily understood by all who are acquainted with bicycles, and to assist in making this part of my invention more plain I have added dotted lines (1 6, extending from those bends to points in the corresponding coils where the widths of the open spaces are the sameas that of the space between the lines of wire of the pommel-section of the frame, and a dotted line f, same length, from one coil to the other at the rear end of the open space, (see Fig. 1,) from an examination of which it will readily be seen that the opening Fislonger fore and aft than the slot an open one.

tions of the wire which surround the bolt-hole and support the washer against lateral movement relative to the floor or platform.

By an examination of Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the adjacent legs or arms of the S shapes 0 (1 lie transverse to the bar, so that these arms being clasped by the fingers or bent over corners of plate Gr not only prevent lateral spreading apart of the coils but support said coils against downward thrust, and in Fig. 6 I have shown two plates G G provided with registering bolt-holes and grooves adapted to receive said arms and grip them to each other and to the bar without bending any of the parts. Thus in both forms of clamp the coils are held against spreading apart and have transverse arms which are gripped above and below by the clamp to support said coils against downward thrust.

I is a supporting-strip, preferably elastic, and in the form of a narrow strap or bar. It is attached to the posterior side of the saddle by means of the bolt H and washer G and to the front by the bolt J, which latter is disposed in the throat a, which permits a little movement of said bolt when the weight of the rider straightens out the elastic bar. Of course the bolt-hole in the front end of the bar might be a little elongated for the same purpose, but I prefer the former construction. For instance, it will be noticed that the front end of the throat to is open, the bending of the wire having been commenced at the rear-that is to say, the inner end of the throat, which is practieallythe center of the piece of wire from which the structure is formedso that after the bolt J has been inserted in the front'end of the barI the threaded end of the bolt may be riveted down sufficiently to prevent the nut from coming off, as the pommel can be thrust under the bolt-head and withdrawn thereform at will. In fact, it is obvious from an inspection of the drawings that a rivet or other headed stud might be permanently attached to or formed integral with said bar before the pommel is placed in position, which could not be done were not Thus the use of the open slot not only facilitates convenience and economy in manufacture, but also obviates all liability of annoyance which might otherwise arise from loss of the nut from a bolt at that point.

The looseness of parts might be at the posterior end of the bar; but I prefer to have the parts fit each other closely there, because the plate Gperforms the function, among others, of holding the two coiled portions of the wire in proper relation to each other; and it will be noticed that by reason of the wire being bolted firmly at its front doubled end to the bar I, carried thence rearward a short distance,thence outward,so that it canbe formed into the outer convolutions, the rear inner portions of which are bolted to the rear end of said bar, and thence by inwardly-progressing convolutions in a common plane,orthe central ones may be a little higher, several important advantages in operation are secured as compared with prior seats, among which are the following: a much firmer support for the tuber ischii, thereby protecting the sensitive parts of the adjacent portion of the body from injury, and alarger opening in the central part of the seat extending from a transverse line intersecting the centers of the coils and extending forward well out to the front end of the pommel with -wide lateral expansions, which I have found to be very important and not attained in saddles which have wires extending from the inner convolutions forward toward the front end of the pommel, as will be readily understood. 4

I have represented the covering or upholstering as consisting of a series of layers of felt at K and a leather upper surface stamped to correspond with the outline of the plat form or bottom. Of course any other usual or approved style of covering maybe substituted for that indicated.

A bolt-head of substantially the same form as that of washer G may be employed to hold the posterior end of the bar I and the coils.

As some riders prefer a hard seat instead of a cushioned one, I propose 'to manufacture saddles for those who prefer such from papier-mach, wood pulp, wood fiber, hard rubber, sheet metal, or aluminium, retaining the distinctive features of outline which are embraced in my iuvention-that is to say, the reentering curves b b and the opening F, with its longer axis anteroposterior.

The relatively deep rentering curves do away entirely with pressure on the inner surface of the thigh, where it joins the pelvis, and consequently with pressure on the nervetrunks, which are located in that immediate vicinity and which supply the prostate gland and the prostatic and membranous portions of the urethra, thus preventing injury to those parts and relieving the numbness and coldness of the perineum and adjacent parts so commonly experienced with saddles of the present construction.

It will be observed that whether the upper surface of the saddle be hard or cushioned the weight of the rider is supported mainly upon the tuber ischii,thus permitting perfectly free and unimpeded action of the leg without numbness or coldness of the parts involved in the sitting posture and adjacent thereto, and it will be further understood that by reason of the extent of the diamond-shaped openingboth front to rear and transversely thereto as compared withthe opening in saddles as heretofore made with lines of wire extending from the front end of the pommel rearward to the inner convolutions of the coils I provide that there shall be practically no pressure upon the posterior and membranous portion of the urethra, which parts are the most sensitive of any in that region of the body and liable to serious and lasting results from even slight injury.

It is evident that the character of the support can be varied by so forming the platform that the coils shall stand, normally, either higher or lower relative to the general plane of the saddle.

Any preferred means may be employed for attaching the saddle to the seat post or standard; but for the sake of illustration I have shown one convenient way of doing it.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a clip or clamp M, adapted to grip the bar I to the horizontal arm of the seat-post, as will be readily understood without a detailed explanation.

What I claim is 1. Abicycle-saddle provided with the opening, F, having its longer axis disposed anteroposteriorly of the saddle, and having its outer boundary formed of a single piece of wire which extends from the front end of the pommel immediately rearward and outward to and constituting the outside bounding-line of the wire platform, and continuing thence by inwardly-progressing convolutions in substantially a common plane, as set forth.

2. A bicycle-saddle comprising a wire platform provided with the opening F having its longer axis disposed anteroposteriorly of the saddle and having its outer boundary formed of wire which extends from the front of the pommel immediately to and forming the'outer convolutions of the coils, in combination with a support for the rear portions of said outer convolutions, the wire after passing the support being continued by inwardly-progress ing convolutions in substantially a common plane, as set forth.

3. A bicycle-saddle comprising a wire plat form having a pommel provided at its front end with a throat to receive a bolt, two coils formed of the same piece of wire with the pommel and in substantially the same horizontal plane therewith, a supporting bar, clamps connecting the rear end of the bar with the outer coils and a clamp connecting the front end of the bar with the front end of the pommel, substantially as set forth.

4. Abicycle-saddle comprising a wire platform having a pommel provided at its front end with a forwardly-open slot adapted to-be thrust under a headed bolt, two coils in rear of the pommel and having their convolutions in substantially the same plane with the pommel, a supporting-bar provided at its front end with a headed bolt or stud to receive the open slotted end of the pommel, aclamp connecting the rear end of the bar with the outer convolutions of the coils and supporting them against downward thrust, substantially as set forth.

5. Abicycle-saddle comprising a wire platform having a pommel provided at its front end with a throat to receive a bolt, two coils in rear of the pommel and having their convolutions in substantially the same plane with the pommel, a supporting-bar, a clamp connecting the front end of the bar with the front end of the pommel, and a clamp constructed to grip the inner portions of the outer convolutions of the coils and connect them to the rear end of the bar, to support said coils against lateral movement and against downward thrust, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY G. GLOVER.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. PARKINSON, ROBERT CAMPBELL. 

